ISM doctors’ protest against ‘arbitrary’ transfers by Govt, “Valley’s healthcare will get crippled”

The transfer of Indian System of Medicine (ISM) doctors by the health department has invited the anger of the doctors who Tuesday accused its minister, Choudhray Lal Singh, of crippling the health care in the valley. About 35 ISM doctors have been recently transferred by the health department from Kashmir province to Jammu region. Dr Mohammad Jamal, President of the Association of the ISM doctors told KNS that the doctors have served 13 years to people in far flung areas of all the three regions of the state. “We worked tirelessly as contractual and adhoc doctors after we were hired in 2001. After 13 long years of our punctual duty and struggle, the government regularized our services in 2013. During these 13 years we served people in remote and inaccessible areas. But the government is transferring us again after two years to far flung areas,” Jamal told KNS. He said these transfers are arbitrary and will cripple healthcare in Kashmir. “All the doctors are posted in rural areas of the valley and have revived the defunct dispensaries. Now when are transferred, these health units will again get defunct,” he said. “It is a clear violation of Service Rules and also our basic human rights,” he said. The doctors have appealed to the state’s chef minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for his intervention. Health Minister Choudhary Lal Singh did not respond to repeated calls from KNS.